Is your wheel damaged and are you considering alloy wheel refurbishment for the first time? When you purchase a car, you’re hypersensitive to the slightest bumps and scuffs that appear on its exterior. Should you experience any alloy damage in these early days of car ownership, you immediately notice it. However, as time goes on, you begin to ignore scratches and dents spotted across the vehicle. Left untreated, these can lead to a damaged alloy and, in order to save money on repairs, regular maintenance is always advised.
In this article, we discuss how the key to reducing your alloy wheel refurbishment costs begins with maintenance, and when the experts will need to step in.
How should I clean alloy wheels?
One of the most important things to be conscious of with both painted and diamond cut alloys is that thorough maintenance saves you money. By simply cleaning your alloys regularly, you will be proactively monitoring the level of damage they incur over time.
Rinse each wheel to remove loose dirt and towel dry to prevent water spots. Follow up by spraying one wheel at a time with an alloy wheel cleaner to protect its finish. Be sure not to forget the particulars! Brake dust hides in places like the lug nuts, wheel wells and between the spokes.
Paying attention to details such as these will keep you on top of the accruing wear and tear facing your alloys. You’ll notice cracks and scratches before it gets too late and save repair costs as a result. The removal of these substances prevents corrosion and increases the lifespan of your wheels.
How are alloy wheels refurbished?
Provided that you’re in the hands of an expert, there are three steps to alloy wheel refurbishment.
Firstly, the removal of the wheels and an assessment of the damage. This is where our professionals can truly determine the scope of the work that needs to be done. They can weigh up whether or not it is light damage that can be fixed via machine technology, or if it is more serious and requires the use of specialist lathes and tools that local mechanics are unlikely to have.
Secondly, the wheels are cleaned of all dirt and other substances in order to be stripped down to the bare alloy. If you have recently kerbed your car, our specialist CNC lathe will be used to remove this surface damage. Sanding equipment can be used for minimal scratches if you don’t require the removal of an entire layer. Both of these tools are usually owned only by alloy wheel specialists.
Lastly, we refit the wheels so that your car is ready upon pick-up to take you home. If we’ve found additional damage whilst servicing your vehicle, we will straighten your tyres and balance and re-torque them so you’re ready to go.
What is the maximum number of times a wheel can be refurbished?
It’s impossible to give a specific figure here, but consider how alloy wheels are cut. Each time a diamond cut alloy enters the cutting process, a specialist lathe removes a layer from the face of the wheel. Painted alloy refurbishment doesn’t include this process due to the nature of the application.
When you approach a technician for alloy wheel refurbishment work, it’s important to let them know if your wheels have been through a cutting process before. The procedure can be completed around three times, but this does all depend on previous cuts. A specialist should assess your wheel, and they will not cut it if they believe it will weaken too much. Powder coating may be an alternative at this stage.
What is the cost of alloy wheel refurbishment?
The average cost of alloy wheel refurbishment can range anywhere between £40 and £70 per wheel. Diamond alloy refurbishment starts at around £60 and can increase depending on the work that needs performing on the face of the alloy.
With most garages, this cost won’t always include the straightening of your wheels following the procedure. Be sure to check with the technician what their service entails. At DA Techs, for instance, we include the realigning of your wheels and torqueing the vehicle once we have cleared the damage.
Ensure that the service you are paying for is guaranteed to return your alloys to showroom condition. If you have plans to resell the vehicle or you own a fleet, you want a turnkey service. That includes everything that has been hindering your wheel performance – not just the aesthetics.
If you think you’re in need of some alloy refurbishment and care, then come and visit our unit in Chorley. Our address is Unit 20, Adlington South Business Park. Whatever state your vehicle is in, we are sure we can help.
If you operate a fleet or own a showroom, we can even come to you! We have a mobile workshop that will service your collection on-site to get your vehicles back to their former state. In the rare cases where the damage of your cars can’t be repaired by our mobile team, we’ll tow your wheels back to our facility (free of charge) and return them to you once we’ve completed the work.
Interested in revitalising your ride? Let us put some life back into your alloys. Give us a ring on 01204 802464, or send us a message through our contact form.